Snap Judgment mixes real stories with beats to produce cinematic, dramatic audio. Snap’s raw, musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. It's storytelling... with a BEAT.
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A teenage hacker inspired by “Mr. Robot” takes on his principal, teachers, and the Board of Education. And a night-shift doctor shares a story of life after death. STORIES Code Yellow A teenage hacker inspired by “Mr. Robot” takes on his principal, teachers, and the Board of Education. This story contains strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised. This piece was adapted from the podcast, Darknet Diaries. Listen to the full story, called Finn . Produced by Jack Rhysider with assistan...
On the frozen tundra, a polar bear guide wakes up to a loud THUMP on the side of his ice buggy. It’s his 1,000 pound buddy, Dancer. And he wants a cup of coffee. Plus, Don Reed transports himself to 1970. Not So Tiny Dancer On the frozen tundra, a polar bear guide wakes up to a loud THUMP on the side of his ice buggy. It’s his 1,000 pound buddy, Dancer. And he wants a cup of coffee. Thank you, Dennis Comparye, for sharing your story with us! To learn more about his work to help the Polar Bears, ...
Jen Angel is a beloved cupcake baker whose life was taken in a smash and grab gone wrong. Now a young man accused of the crime has his future hanging in the balance. Cries for justice, retribution and reason all collide as everyone tries to figure out “What Would Jen Do?” This episode contains graphic imagery and strong language. Please take care while listening. Thank you to Ocean, Ashanthe, Emily, Moira, Tobias, Sandra, and people from our community, right here in Oakland, who opened up their ...
A fisherman down on his luck finds gold at the bottom of the sea. It’s only after his treasure hunt is underway that he discovers what is truly valuable deep down. BIG thanks to Joe Pennisi for sharing your story with Snap. This story would not have been possible if not for the amazing, on-the-ground reporting work of Tara Duggan, Jason Fagone, and Santiago Mejia who first told this incredible story for the San Francisco Chronicle. Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork...
When a young man is told he is going deaf, he sets out on a challenge to memorize the songs that defined his life. He had no idea that those songs would come back to him in the most unexpected way. And a musical savant shares the inner workings of his amazing gift. STORIES The Soundtrack of Silence When a young man is told is he going deaf, he sets out on a challenge to memorize the songs that defined his life. He had no idea that those songs would come back to him in the most unexpected way. Th...
In a boarding house in Chicago, a young girl puts her questions to the universe and the answers are returned in coded messages from the other side. And a boy lost in the forest at the foothills of the Himalayas, sees a light in the distance… but it isn’t there to guide him. This story comes to us from our evil-twin, Spooked ! You can listen to Spooked on any podcast platform, episodes drop weekly. Happy Halloween! STORIES Knock Knock In a boarding house in Chicago, a young girl puts her question...
A man visits prominent members of the Blackfeet Traditional Medicine community. After witnessing an unexplainable force, he learns just how important it is to practice good medicine. And a girl growing up in Mumbai knows money doesn’t grow on trees. But when times get tough, her family house begins to reveal its secrets. This story comes to us from our evil-twin, Spooked ! You can listen to Spooked on any podcast platform, episodes drop weekly. STORIES Bull Boy While Dan is at the compound of go...
Snap Judgment presents 'The Wager,' featuring two compelling narratives. The first tells of a young boy's extraordinary gift of 'roller' pigeons to a lonely narrator, revealing a poignant, hidden past. The second, 'That's Not Mama,' by Sheri Booker, recounts a chaotic day at a funeral home when multiple families claim the wrong body, culminating in a shocking discovery about a clothes-switch and a deeply personal emotional reckoning for the staff.
A woman in Texas takes animal rehabilitation to new heights when she brings over a thousand bats back from the dead in her own home. And a Snap producer reveals he owes a lot to one single hairy flying mammal. STORIES Batwoman A woman in Texas takes animal rehabilitation to new heights when she brings over a thousand bats back from the dead in her own home. Thank you, Mary Warwick, for sharing your story with us! Big thanks also to The Houston Humane Society, The TWRC Wildlife Center, and the Ba...
DeAndre D’Angelo, a scam artist with a talent for forged documents and a taste for red sports cars finds the perfect persona to escape his checkered past. He's the Camaro driving, show tune singing, high school student who is actually 31 years old. What if you could relive your youth and do it all over again the right way? Thank you, Michael Backman, for sharing your story with Snap! Check out Michael's music. Produced by Jeff Maysh and Nancy López, edited by Anna Sussman, original score by Dirk...
A team of high school students investigate a new hire at their school. What they discover leads them towards an all out battle for the truth. Extra special thanks to Emily Smith and her team of sleuthers! Produced by Shaina Shealy, edited by Nancy Lopez, original score Nick Marks. Season 16 - Episode 46 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Drama Club is the happy, safe space for Lee and Parker until their school play becomes a homophobic middle school meltdown. The lights get turned up to 10, the adults are in a media frenzy, and the kids are just trying to figure it all out. STORIES Don’t Say Gay Dads Drama Club is the happy, safe space for Lee and Parker until their school play becomes a homophobic middle school meltdown. The lights get turned up to 10, the adults are in a media frenzy, and the kids are just trying to figure it ...
The county clerk in a sleepy town finds himself on the frontlines of a national fight over abortion care. When a New York doctor prescribes abortion meds to a Texas woman, a state's rights fight erupts. Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck is front and center when he invokes the "shield law" to prevent Texas AG Ken Paxton from filing a case against the doctor. Produced by Anna Sussman and Zoe Ferrigno. Original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff. Season 16 - Episode 43 Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.p...
This week on Snap Judgment… it's the tough jobs, the rough jobs, the roll up your sleeves and get it done jobs. When the oddest man in town is arrested for murder, only one lawyer steps up to represent him. Plus misadventures under the Not-So-Big Top. STORIES The Writing Is On The Wall When the scariest man in town is arrested for murder, only one lawyer volunteers to represent him... Produced by Joe Rosenberg, sound design by Renzo Gorrio. Artwork by Teo Ducot. Corrections: In a previous versio...
The group from Union Point moves into their new homes on the tiny plot of land near Lake Merritt. They run their own security and decide who comes into their space. But then, on a Monday morning in March, we hear devastating news… A fire burns through the plot of land on E12th. Is this the end of the experiment, or will the group keep building? This episode contains strong language & graphic imagery. Please take care while listening. Thank you to the entire cast from A Tiny Plot for sharing ...
Mama D, President Matt, and the rest of the group are finally seeing their experiment in co-governance take shape. They built their security sheds and saw their tiny homes for the first time. But when Nino Parker stepped onto the sidewalk in a neck brace, on crutches, it was clear that the group was about to face a whole new level of chaos. This episode contains strong language & graphic imagery. Please take care while listening. Thank you to the entire cast from A Tiny Plot for sharing your...
Mama D sees that the future of the experiment is up to her and what she decides: Lead the group to the plot of land offered by the city, hope and pray for a magical new plot, or disband the group and dissolve the experiment. Following weeks of indecision, Mama D makes a choice. And while everyone from the group was hard at work to turn their dream into reality, they didn’t seem to notice a major problem with the set-up. A fault line of sorts. This episode contains strong language & graphic i...
The standoff between Public Works and the group from Union Point Park ends with a handshake -- a deal to build a new kind of housing community funded by the city where homeless residents make their own rules. But right away, the civility of this agreement seems to break down. And after months of waiting, the group from Union Point Park finally gets a plot of land on E12th street for their radical experiment. But there’s a big problem with the land. It's something that leaves the future of this e...
Using broken refrigerators, mattresses and dishwashers, residents of Union Point Park barricade their tent-city. And they fight for an extraordinary idea: their own plot of land from the city, where they could live in community and set their own rules, on their own terms. A Tiny Plot is a new 5-part series from KQED ’s Snap Studios. Host and Reporter Shaina Shealy takes listeners inside an encampment in Oakland for an against-all-odds story about scarcity, community, and the complexity of buildi...
It's barricades vs. bobcats, tents vs. tiny homes and a team of people fighting to stay together. Listen to a radical experiment in freedom that puts an entire city under the microscope… "A Tiny Plot” is a new series from KQED’s Snap Studios. Producer Shaina Shealy embedded with a group of people in an encampment in Oakland at a park called Union Point. They were ordered to disperse, running out of time, but they were bound together by an extraordinary new idea: their own living space where they...
300 people spend a week on a plane with Rihanna to attend seven concerts, in seven countries, over seven days. And when morale is low among a group of paratroopers, their Sergeant takes them on an unexpected trip. STORIES Diamonds in the Sky Fans and journalists embark on a seven-show tour with Rihanna… in seven countries, over seven days, on a Boeing 777, to celebrate her seventh album in seven years. Did we mention this happened seven years ago? This story contains explicit language. Sensitive...
The hallowed halls of an Airbnb house a spirit that can only be seen through sprinkles, spritzes, and sparkles… of air freshener. Snap’s Queen of Comedy, Jen Kober, returns with a story only she could tell. Plus, Glynn shares a story about a close personal witch. The episode contains strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised. These stories were told at Spooked LIVE! We have a West Coast tour this year in Oakland , Los Angeles , and Seattle ! Join us in September and October! Cross o...
Eleven attractive, young people set sail across the Atlantic in a raft as part of a radical group experiment. And a boy falls in love with a girl… and her fungus. STORIES Vintage Spirit Did you ever think that you missed a moment of history? A moment you were made for? Glynn explores an era that had a spark. Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Raft of Passion Mary needed to get away from her husband. A handsome stranger offered her a way out. All she had to do was participate in the strangest group e...
She’s stunning grey, sleek as a race car, and stronger than all the boys. Her name is Winning Colors and for Dino and Miami she’s the long shot of a lifetime. This story contains strong language and includes descriptions of gambling, sensitive listeners please be advised. If gambling has become a problem for you or for someone you know, you can call 1-800-GAMBLER (426-2537) to seek free, confidential, 24/7 problem gambling assistance. A huge thank you to Mark “Miami” Paul for sharing his story w...
Here’s a preview from a new podcast, Charlie’s Place. How did a Black man in the 1940s Jim Crow South open a club where Black and white people danced together? Charlie’s Place was revolutionary, and that meant it was dangerous. Host Rhym Guissé explores the unbelievable true story of Charlie Fitzgerald, a mysterious Black businessman whose nightclub became an unlikely site of integration in Myrtle Beach. Charlie broke down racial barriers through the power of music and dance, hosting some of the...
World class runner Shelby Houlihan goes on trial and a bad burrito is her smoking gun. Plus, what do you do when you look just like figure skating’s supervillain? STORIES The Burrito Theory World class runner Shelby Houlihan goes on trial and a bad burrito is her smoking gun. Thank you Shelby, for sharing your story with us! Produced by John Fecile, original score by Clay Xavier. Tonya for Hire What if one day you found out you look like one of the most famous people in the country — who everybo...
A young girl’s fantastic dream to be a doctor sends her into the middle of political realities of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Plus – the story of the first dog to travel around the world and the hottest alien takeover of all time. Round Trip A young girl’s fantastic dream to be a doctor sends her into the middle of political realities of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This story contains scenes of domestic abuse and gun violence, please take care while listening. Thank you, MJ Fièvre, for sharing your story ...
When Michelle moves into The Gearbox on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, she meets a new dance partner. And in Yauco, the mountain is alive. It knows you. It is aware of you. And when you pass, it will not let you leave unforgotten. This story comes to us from our evil-twin, Spooked ! You can listen to Spooked on any podcast platform, episodes drop weekly. If you want more supernatural fun, check out Spooked on YouTube . The Gearbox When Michelle moves into The Gearbox on the Caribbean island...
He’s slick, slippery, sweet-talking his way past the guards and straight into a superfan’s dream. He’s the stuff of legends, he’s Super Bowl Rick. And meet his counterpart… Tom Garvey. The man who lived inside the walls of his favorite stadium, Phantom-of-the-Opera style. It’s Pittsburgh vs Philly in an epic sports story-off. This episode contains explicit language, sensitive listeners please be advised. STORIES Super Bowl Rick He’s slick, slippery, sweet-talking his way past the guards and stra...
Sir Dyno is the Chicano Eazy-E, the king of lowrider car shows, an up-and-coming gangsta rapper straight outta Northern California. But when he gets the money to finance his next CD, he has no idea that the same music that made him a legend will also lead to his downfall. This story contains drug references and offensive language, sensitive listeners please be advised. Thank you, David Rocha, for sharing your story with us. Thanks also to Sharon Rocha, Justin Berton & Julia Reynolds. David R...
